Why Google+ Is Totally Awesome...

If you've suffered through one of my rants recently about why I'm smitten with Google's (relatively) new-ish social media platform, or if you yourself have already signed up and started exploring, this might not be news to you. Many of you might be, as I once was, a bit leery of social networking (a'la Facebook), but I hope you give it a try and see the benefit of using this product.

IT'S NOT FACEBOOK

Arguably the best part of Google+ is that it's not Facebook. Admittedly, I'm a FB hater. Partially because, in my job, it can often be the source of discontent between students which spills into out-and-out mean behavior in the school building. Cyberbullying can (sadly) occur in any social media platform, Google+ notwithstanding, but if we teach students to use social media wisely, it can and should become a very powerful communication and learning tool. That's a post for another day.

Google+ differs from Facebook at this point in its evolution because it is being used more for making connections with other people that have the same interests & passions that you do, NOT for keeping in touch with people from your past. As it currently stands, most of my "followers" (though not many) are people I don't know and have added me to circles based on my posts.

I heard the difference described best watching an OnAir Hangout (Google-lingo for Webinar or Webcast) about Google+, in which one of the moderators explained his use of it something like this: "Facebook is to see pictures of and stay in touch with people you went to high school with, and Google+ is for learning from and discussing your passions with people you WISH you went to high school with."

I still like that description.

DON'T FEAR, LEARN

I'm not naive. I realize that promoting a product for teachers to use that is similar to Facebook may open the door to potential problems if poor decisions are made with a very beneficial communication tool. However, social media is not only here to stay, it is and will continue to be a major part of our students' lives. It is up to us to show students the positive ways it can and should be used. The biggest reason why G+ should not be brushed aside or feared by educators is that it's very easy to maintain Circles of those whom your posts can be seen by. Cute pictures of your kids that you want to share but not publicly to all of your followers? Share them only to your "Family" and "Friends" Circles. Want to share an article about reading strategies in the classroom with your colleagues that your cousin might not be interested in? Share to your "Education" Circle. Additionally, if G+ is something you want to use solely for professional reasons, there's plenty of room for that.

COMMUNITIES

My favorite aspect is a new element called "Communities", which allows you to join groups whose members post topic-specific articles, resources and experiences to the group. Users comment, discuss and ask questions about the post. My personal favorite Communities are: Chromebooks EDU, EdTech, Common Core, Educators on Google+, and Google Apps in Education. This is a great place to pose a specific question, or browse posts for interesting articles or to participate in the dialogue with like-minded folks about what you're interested in. While I've mostly been exploring technology in education kinds of Communities, at this point, there's likely one for anything you may think of.  Also, for iOS users, the Google+ app is really nice looking and user friendly.  Below is a screenshot of a good portion of the Communities I've joined.

POSSIBILITIES IN EDUCATION

I'm planning on throwing the question out to some of the above Communities I've joined to learn how some schools have started to use G+ with students, but for now, I am really enjoying the collegiality of learning from other educators across the country and around the world.  The articles that are shared and the ideas that people are willing to throw out for discussion are useful, relevant, and yes, sometimes pie-in-the sky, but that's what makes it fun!

The potential use for G+ in a 1:1 setting is what has the potential to be really cool down the road. Several colleges & universities have begun to embrace Google+, especially the Hangout feature for group projects and professors hosting live discussions and office hours.

For now, I would advise any educator that has yet to give social media a try to jump in and see if you like Google+.  CLICK HERE for a nice introduction to G+ that will help you sign up, if you so choose.  You'll need a personal Gmail account - which I would advise you should have anyway at this point - as most districts (including ours) do not have Google+ turned on for users within their domain.

Try it out, and happy +1ing!